


Pardon Me

by AngelTrix



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-09-30 14:52:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10165421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelTrix/pseuds/AngelTrix
Summary: This is my take on what should have happened after Lizzie is unexpectedly pardoned for killing the US Attorney General.  No idea on how long or short this might end up being.  It will all depend on my muse staying active.





	1. Chapter 1

Lizzie couldn’t believe it when Tom showed her the news report about her being pardoned by the outgoing President. This was the last thing she ever expected to happen. She thought she would be a convicted felon for the rest of her life. There was only one person that could have accomplished such a feat . . . Red! 

She constantly regretted how she treated him after saving her from the results of her actions in shooting Tom Connolly. Everything he did from that point forward was designed to get her to this point, a free woman with no convictions or charges hanging over her head. Why, oh why, did she treat him so poorly? 

After Tom had wandered off to do God knows what she grabbed her cell phone. She quickly punched in the number for Nick’s Pizza. She needed to see him! 

“Yes, Elizabeth,” she heard Dembe’s greeting.

“Hi, Dembe. Is Red available? I really want to see him,” she said urgently. 

Lizzie heard Dembe’s muffled voice speaking to whom she assumed was Red. He was back after a few moments.

“We will be at the Hempstead house in about an hour if you’d like to join us there,” Dembe told her in his normal patient tone.

“Yes, I’ll be there. Thank you,” she said before disconnecting.

Now that she knew where he was going to be how did she explain to Tom that she was going to see him? The worry was quickly resolved when Tom came out of their room and told her he was going to go for a drive. He didn’t know when he’d be back. Normally Lizzie would be interested in knowing where he was going, but right now his absence worked for her and she was grateful.

Her internal debate about whether she should take Agnes with her was decided once Tom left. She could have called the woman that Red provided as a sitter to watch Agnes, but she knew how much Red loved seeing the baby. She knew he must have been a wonderful father. He has always been so good with Agnes. Maybe they both unconsciously recognized the truth that Lizzie has been guarding so carefully about her true parentage. 

She regretted her decision to allow the mistaken assumption that Tom was the father to continue. Everyone just assumed her father was Tom. Even Red who had a very good reason to assume that Tom might not be the father. He was not stupid and could count to nine. Everyone assumed that she got pregnant before shooting Connolly. All she could think of that Red assumed it happened when she stayed on the boat with Tom. That would have made her an elephant to have carried the baby for so long. Or it was the time after her release from jail, that would have made poor Agnes very premature. The only possibility was that she got pregnant between those two encounters. 

She gathered all the things one needs for taking a baby out for a few hours. It always amazed her how much a little human needed for such a short time. Within an hour, she was buckling Agnes into her car seat. She set out for Red’s favorite safe house. It was one of the first safe houses where she had visited Red. She knew he felt a certain comfort in this particular house. To be honest she did too.

Lizzie couldn’t have planned her arrival at the safe house better if she’d tried. She pulled up at the time Dembe was pulling up into the house’s short driveway. After she pulled in front of the house both Dembe and Red met her after they noticed she hadn’t arrived alone. 

“Dembe would you please unlock the door and then help bring in the baby’s things?,’ Red asked/ordered his closest confidant.

“That’s okay I can get them,” Lizzie said not wanting to inconvenience the quiet man more than necessary.

“Elizabeth it’s not a problem. Take Agnes in and I’ll follow in just a few moments,” Dembe told her with a slight smile. 

Lizzie knew better than to argue with him. She quickly unbuckled Agnes and settled her on her hip before closing the door. Red was patiently waiting for them at the front door. His eyes never leaving Agnes. Lizzie could see how much he wanted to hold the little girl. She would make sure he had a chance as soon as they were settled in the house. 

Dembe carried all the bags to the study where Red spent most of his time while in the house. He suspected that Red’s affinity for that room was not just the view of the trees through the window. He figured that the older man enjoyed the scent of the paper used in all the books that lined the shelves and any another flat surface in the room. 

“Elizabeth, would you like me to take Agnes to my room so you and Red could have the conversation that you’ve been putting off for far too long.” Dembe asked not trying to hide his pleasure at her arrival.

Lizzie hesitated. She knew that they would indeed need to have their long-postponed talk, but she also wanted to give Red the opportunity to see Agnes. The fact that she and Tom kept Red away from Agnes for so long now made her ashamed. Red would never have harmed Agnes, in fact, she knew he would have given his life for hers, even if her father had really been Tom. 

“Not yet Dembe. I think Agnes would like to say hello to Red first. I will impose on you later when we do sit down to talk,” she told him before moving to the couch to await Red’s arrival. 

Red had stopped outside the door of the study to listen to the conversation taking place inside. He was happy to get the chance to see Lizzie’s little girl. He loved all children, but this one most especially. As Dembe exited the room he saw Red standing outside the doors making no move to enter.

“Go in my brother. She is waiting for you. I think she’s ready to talk about why she faked her death and ran from you. Please, finally be open with her about how you feel. Don’t couch it in a story or metaphors, just tell her your own thoughts and feelings,” Dembe advised before moving past him down the hallway and deeper into the house. Dembe loved this house almost as much as Red. There were books everywhere and he loved the chance to sit down and enjoy a new adventure every time he picked one up.

Red shook his head. If he had a dime for every time Dembe told him to tell Lizzie the truth he’d be a rich man. Well, he did have a dime for each time and he was a rich man, but he still hesitated. He wanted to see Lizzie and Agnes away from Tom and his lurking presence. He just didn’t know which Lizzie was going to make an appearance behind the study doors.

Red slowly opened the study door and stepped into the room. His eyes were drawn immediately to the happy little blonde haired girl sitting on a blanket that was spread on the floor. So much time has passed since he’s seen her last. Here she was already sitting up on her own. He couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face. His smile matching almost perfectly the one on Agnes’s face when she saw him. She clapped her hands gleefully and held her hands up to him when he got closer in the universal gesture for “hold me”.

As much as Red wanted to answer Agnes’s silent summons he looked to Lizzie first for permission.

“May I?” he asked.

“Of course. You don’t need my permission. I think in this case Agnes can make up her own mind,” Lizzie said with a smile.

That was all Red needed to hear. He reached down and effortlessly lifted the baby into his arms. Holding her brought back all the memories of holding his own daughter all those years ago. He thought those memories only brought sadness with them, but now he realized that they had morphed into cherished, happy memories. He may not have been allowed to see his daughter grow up, but now that he knew she was alive he was content to let her live out her life without him if that was her wish.

“Well, hello Agnes. You have gotten so big. Sitting up on your own already,” he praised her quietly. 

Agnes seemed enthralled by the sound of his voice. Of course, she is Lizzie thought to herself. All females seem to be, despite their age. There is just something in the that deep, deep voice that calls to all members of the feminine gender. She was no exception. 

“She’s trying to crawl now. I’m not looking forward to baby proofing the apartment to keep her out of things once she’s mobile. I know I’ll be getting a lot of exercise chasing after her once she starts walking,” said Lizzie from her seat on the couch. 

Red stood there mindlessly bouncing and twisting Agnes in his arms, all the while making faces at her and murmuring random thoughts to keep her entertained. Lizzie was sure he didn’t realize what a happy scene she was watching. This man loved this little girl despite her apparent parentage. How much would he feel if he knew the truth? Or does he already and that is why he already cares about her with such intensity. How must he feel about Lizzie that she would keep his daughter from him to play house with someone he loathes as much as Tom? He would never tell her, but she knew how bad she felt about it.

“You’ve got a lot of fun heading your way. There is nothing to compare to seeing the world through the eyes of a child. Their innocence and joy make everything new again. As for chasing her around you’ll find it’s not as hard as you’d think. Just confine her to the room you are in and keep everything picked up. Without anything tempting her she’ll concentrate on her toys or following you around,” he told Lizzie while still smiling down at Agnes. She kept trying to put her hand over his mouth. Red simply kissed the little hand before moving it away again.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how she reacts to all the new experiences she has with me and her father. He’s got an amazing love of life that I hope he passes on to her,” Lizzie said not trying to pretend she was talking about anyone but Red. All pretense that Tom was her father was over.

Red peered at her intently. He’d had his own ideas on Agnes’s paternity. He’d thrown out Tom’s name all those many months ago hoping that Lizzie would be willing to admit that Tom was her past. He had never expected her to clutch on to that fiction and deny Red access to what he knew was his daughter. Now it appeared that her fiction might just be set aside in favor of the truth.

“I don’t think I’ve heard or seen that Tom has a love of life. Are you ready to have that discussion you mentioned to Dembe?” Red asked bluntly.

She should have expected nothing else from Red. He’d picked up on her carefully chosen words. He was a master at the use of language. He knew what she’d meant and yes it was past time for their talk.

“Yes, I’m ready. Which room is Dembe in? He said he’d watch Agnes while we talk,” she said as she stood up from her seat on the couch.

“His room is at the other end of the hall on the right. But, if I know him he’s in the office about half way down the hall. He prefers to read in there until bed time,” he answered her before reluctantly handing the baby to her.

“Don’t worry Red, I’m not going to stop you from seeing Agnes whenever you want to. I’ll be right back,” she told him with a slight smile.

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

Red moved to the corner of the room where there was a small table with a glass decanter of his favorite Scotch. He poured himself a couple of fingers full and knocked them back quickly. While he thought Lizzie’s demeanor should give him hope for the future with her and Agnes he’d been surprised before. He poured himself another drink and then made his way to sit at the end of the couch. It was too dark to see the trees outside of the window, but that didn’t stop him from looking toward his favorite view.

It only took Liz a few minutes to locate Dembe and hand Agnes off to the man she still couldn’t believe was a grandfather. This was a story that she’d get around to asking Dembe about later. His relationship with Red was still one that intrigued her. What did Red do to engender such faithfulness in the younger man?

She reentered the room to find Red enjoying a drink. She found herself drinking a lot less now that Agnes depended on her. There were times she missed her nightly pre-baby routine. A glass of wine while relaxing from a long day chasing Blacklisters. 

“Agnes seems fascinated by Dembe. She seems to remember him from the few times he’s seen her. In fact, it seems like she remembers everyone she meets. It’s hard to explain how she acts around people she’s seen before and those that are complete strangers to her,” Lizzie said as she took a seat on the couch near Red.

He was surprised to see her take a seat so close to him. She’s made it a point to keep her distance since he’d lead the FBI to her location at the Summer Palace. For too long after her return he’d concentrated on recovering Agnes, using any means necessary. It was only after Agnes was returned to Lizzie that he’d noticed the distance. He couldn’t fault her for pulling away from him. After what he’d done to Kate he didn’t want to be around himself either. He just didn’t know how to get away from himself. He’d started drinking way too much. If she was honest about letting him spend more time with Agnes, his excessive drinking in the evenings would have to stop.

“Dembe has always been good with children. I suspect it is a result of his own loss of childhood innocence. He would die to protect any child, whether he knows it or not. I think any decent adult would, but Dembe is even more protective. Children can sense these things and seem to instinctively know who they can trust,” he told her with a small smile.

“I know I wasn’t there the first time you held her, but I heard that she didn’t cry or fuss with you the way she did with Tom. I think anyone who might have witnessed you with her would have just assumed that you were good with her because of your experience as a father. I think it’s because she knows her daddy,” she told him with tears in her eyes.

Red took a drink from the glass in his hand. He expected them to get around to the discussion of Agnes’s parentage, but didn’t expect her to quite so straight forward about it all. She usually refrained from talking about anything personal.

“I’d like to think she did from the beginning. However, it could just be that Tom was so awkward with her that anyone that didn’t almost drop her was someone she trusted. He’s come a long way. My God he was hopeless at the beginning. Every new father seems to be, myself included. I’m surprised Jennifer survived for the first few days,” Red said smiling as he shared his embarrassing secret with her.

Tom was the last thing she wanted to discuss tonight. She knew they couldn’t avoid the subject. First, she wanted to discuss Agnes and the night that changed both of their lives. 

“I think you suspected from the beginning that she wasn’t Tom’s. I’m sure you did the math as soon as I told you that I was pregnant. I can’t believe that Tom didn’t do the same. Maybe he did and just decided to accept Agnes as his to allow myself to be tied to him again. What I couldn’t get past is that the taskforce just accepted that Tom was the father. Maybe they thought that we’d hooked up while I was on the run with you,” she said with a shrug. 

“Their accepting him as the father and allowing him to participate in their cases is something I never thought I’d see. I don’t think Ressler ever accepted him. He just went along with Cooper and Aram. Cooper’s treatment of him I can’t really explain, except after Charlene’s little secret was exposed he was desperately looking for any proof of real love. I question his sanity in thinking what you and Tom had was true love. Aram is just Aram. He believes the best about everyone,” he said with a little shake of his head.

Lizzie understood everything that Red mentioned. She and Tom gave a pretty convincing showing as a couple in love. In truth, they hadn’t had sex in months. He always seemed to be off on some errand that took all day and sometimes more than a day. She knew instinctively that he wasn’t running an errand. She suspected that he’d taken a job with Halcyon and was off trying to find answers that he insisted he didn’t need. She would confront him about it all soon. 

“I agree that Cooper seems to be seeing our relationship through rose colored glasses. He’s a good man, but sometimes his decisions are mind boggling. Aram is too sweet and he seems to have lost some of his fear of you,” she replied.

Red doubted that she knew anything about Aram tracking him down at Dom’s place and telling him that he needed to come back to the post office. He had to admit that despite how nervous he’d been on the other side of that screen door he didn’t back down. Aram was one of the only member of the taskforce that has his trust. He tried to never put him in a situation that would force him to choose between what Red wanted and what was right.

“Let’s just say Aram and I have something in common, our desire to protect you from harm. If you are ready to admit to everyone that Agnes is not Tom’s, what is your relationship to Tom going to become? I can’t see him sticking around after finding out the truth. Are you ready for him to leave and possibly not coming back?” he asked her with an intent look on his face.

She knew where his concern was coming from, she’d chosen Tom over Red many times in the past. But, now? The answer came to her very quickly, no she wouldn’t care. It would be a relief, truth be told.

“I believe he’s going to react just the way you mentioned. We’ve only been together for Agnes’s sake. There’s no relationship between us outside of her. I think he’s gone to work with his mother at Halcyon. You are right, men like Tom never change. He’s not cut out to be a father. He needs the excitement that becoming someone else gives him,” she confessed quietly.

Red sat quietly as he finished his drink. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but her being here now with him, telling him that her relationship with Tom was over, it made him think that there just might be a chance for them to start rebuilding the closeness that they shared while she was on the run.

“It’s getting late for Agnes. Did you want to stay here tonight so you don’t have to take her out? There are a couple of rooms always ready for guests,” Red asked her, not ashamed to be using Agnes as an excuse to keep Lizzie close.

“That would be wonderful!” Lizzie exclaimed with a smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little filler chapter. The next chapter will have more meat to it.

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to say I own Red and Lizzie they still don't belong to me. If I owned the Blacklist characters Tom would have died in the first season and Red and Lizzie would have been screwing like bunnies for the last three seasons.

 

Red walked with Lizzie down the hall to pick up Agnes on the way to the room that was to be theirs for the night. As they approached the room where Dembe was watching the little girl they could hear laughter. Agnes’s high pitched giggles interspersed with Dembe’s low chuckles. Listening to them made both Red and Lizzie exchange smiles. They both sounded so happy. 

Red opened the door and gestured for Lizzie to enter the room first. The sight of Dembe laying on his back in the middle of the floor holding Agnes above him, moving her as if she was flying in the air. Red remembered watching Dembe do the exact same thing with first his daughter and most recently with his granddaughter. It made him feel ancient to think about the younger man being a grandfather already. 

“What is this? Are you flying Aggie?” Lizzie asked her delighted baby girl.

She reached down to take into her own hands before twirling her around slowly before settling her down on her hip. Agnes squealed in delight at the move. When she realized that Lizzie didn’t plan on continue playing at flying she reached her arms out to Red to see if he was willing to play. He glanced at Lizzie to see if she planned on allowing him to hold her again before they tried to get her down for the night. When she handed Agnes to him without hesitation he held her under her arms while carefully spinning in a circle to her peals of laughter. 

“Agnes I think we need to save anymore flying until the morning. If we aren’t careful you won’t want to sleep. While I would love to stay up all night with you, I think your mom might want you to sleep at least a little bit tonight. Let’s show your mommy to your room,” he said settling her against his chest. He reached his other hand out to Lizzie. She clasped his hand and let him lead the way.

“Good night Dembe. Thank you for watching her for me,” she said to the big man.

“I was happy to watch her Elizabeth. There is nothing as much fun as a baby,” Dembe said from where he still sat on the floor.

“Dembe I think I’ll be heading to my room after getting them settled. We all could use a good night’s sleep. Good night my friend,” Red said warmly.

“Good night to you both. I think I’ll call Isabella before heading to bed,” said Dembe as he climbed to his feet. 

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

Red lead the way to a room a couple of doors down from the office. Lizzie flipped on the light switch and the room was lit with a soft glow from the overhead light. Apparently Dembe was psychic and had brought Agnes’s bags into the room, long before she’d agreed to stay the night. 

“I didn’t realize I’d be spending the night. Otherwise I would have brought something to sleep in,” she said just realizing how unprepared she was to stay.

“I’m sure I can scrounge something up for you. Do you have everything you need for Agnes? I can send a member of my team out to get you whatever you might need,” he offered. 

“I think I brought enough to get her through the night. Normally she’d take a bottle before bedtime, but it doesn’t look like we’ll need one tonight,” she told him with a nod to where Agnes was sound asleep against his shoulder. 

Red was surprised to see that she’d fallen asleep so quickly after being wide awake just moments before. 

“I’m sorry I don’t have a crib for her. I’ll make sure that we will have one from now on. Will you be okay with her sleeping in the bed with you? I seem to remember all the warnings against sharing a bed the nurses gave us when Jennifer was her age,” he told her.

“I’ve shared a bed with her a couple of times. It’s not something I want to get her used to, but for the night we should be okay.”

She moved over to the bed and pulled down the sheets. She arranged pillows down the side of the mattress to keep her away from the edge. She set a couple more pillows in the center of the bed to prevent her from rolling over on top of her during the night. 

“Let me get her changed before putting her down,” she said carefully lifting her off Red’s chest and into the little nest she’d made before grabbing her diaper bag.

“I’ll be right back after I find something for you to wear tonight,” he said before reluctantly moving to his room that was conveniently located across the hall.

By the time he returned Lizzie had Agnes wearing pink footie pajamas and tucked in under the bed’s sheets and blankets. He handed her the white t-shirt and sweatpants he’d grabbed from the dresser in his room. 

“Let me know if you need anything else tonight. My room is right across the hall,” he told her before pulling her into a hug and gently kissing her forehead. He moved around the bed and leaned down to place a matching kiss to Agnes’s forehead. “Sleep well.”

“Good night Raymond,” she said using his first name for only the second time since they met.

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Red pulled the door closed behind himself before crossing the hall into his room. He was surprised by the events of the night. If someone had told him this morning that by the time the day ended that Lizzie would both acknowledge Agnes’s paternity and be sleeping just across the hall from where he stood now, he would have called them insane. All he could do was hope that she didn’t change her mind in the cold light of day.

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Lizzie woke up to the delicious smell of breakfast cooking. It was unusual for her to wake up before Agnes. Normally her little girl woke up by the time light started coming through the blinds in the nursery. She glanced over to where she’d placed Agnes the night before and was surprised to see the bed empty. If she’d made any noises loud enough for Red to hear from across the hall, she was surprised that she managed to sleep through them. It was a sign of her trust in Red’s security that she didn’t go running through the halls looking for the baby. 

Red was in the kitchen cooking breakfast when Lizzie made her appearance. He’d heard Agnes starting to fuss about an hour earlier. Lizzie looked like she could use a late morning so he’d gone in and picked her up along with the bag containing her diapers. It had been years since he’d changed a baby’s diaper. In fact, the last time was when he and Dembe were watching Isabella. Just like riding a bike, changing a diaper was a skill that seemed to be something you never forgot. 

Agnes was sitting in a high chair near where Red was preparing eggs to accompany the bacon and sausage staying warm in the oven. Lizzie was certain that the high chair magically appeared this morning. It must be nice to have enough resources that you can get anything you need by making a simple phone call. 

“Hey sweetie! How did you manage to sneak out of bed this morning?” Lizzie asked Agnes in a sing song voice before dropping a kiss on her forehead.

Agnes gave a little squeal when she saw her mommy and started kicking her feet and clapping her hands in delight. Red had placed a handful of dry cereal that he’d found in her bag on her tray to keep her entertained while he cooked. It appeared that more had ended up on the floor than in her mouth. She was trying her out on different foods to see what she liked. Her dislike of most of the food Lizzie made could have been due to her cooking. She admitted that cooking was not something at which she excelled. 

“I heard her start to make some noise. You looked like you could use a bit more sleep. I got to see that once you know how to change a diaper you never forget,” Red said smiling over at his girls.

“If you feel the need to get more practice in, I won’t stop you,” she said as she walked over to see what Red was doing at the stove.

Red chuckled. He remembered well the desire to let someone else deal with a baby’s dirty diaper. With Jennifer he’d been lucky to have Carla to share the childcare duties. With Tom gone now she would need someone to watch Agnes while she went back to work full time with the FBI. He would make some calls to locate someone that he trusted to care for Agnes when one of them couldn’t be with her. His requirements in a sitter would be much more stringent than Lizzie’s. His choice would need know self-defense and how to handle a weapon. Agnes would have her own dedicated security detail, but things happened and it was best to be prepared. 

“I’m not sure what foods you’ve been trying her out on. I was thinking to give her a scrambled egg. Have you tried eggs with her?” he asked her as he slid a huge omelet on to a plate that he slid over to where Dembe was sitting at the counter near the stove. 

“I’ve tried eggs. She doesn’t seem to like them. It could be my cooking. Why don’t you try her on them again, I’m sure you are a much better cook than I am,” she said looking at the food on Dembe’s plate that was quickly disappearing.

Red swiftly had her egg cooked and put a few pieces on Agnes’s tray after making sure it was cool enough for her to handle. Without hesitation she reached out and picked up a handful that she shoved into her mouth. 

“I guess that proves it was my cooking,” she said with chuckle.

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

After breakfast Lizzie packed up all the baby paraphernalia that Dembe then loaded into the car. Red and Dembe planned on making a visit to the Post Office later. He wanted to be there when she told the team that not only was Tom gone, but that despite what she’d lead everyone to believe, Agnes was Red’s daughter and not Tom’s. Red would have been worried about how they would react to the news that Lizzie and he had a relationship while on the run, except for how willing they had been to embrace Tom despite all they knew about the man. He knew Cooper wouldn’t be happy, but he wouldn’t toss her into a jail cell for being involved with number four on the Most Wanted list.

Red and Dembe arrived at the Post Office before Lizzie made an appearance. She would normally have left the baby with Tom. That was no longer an option. If she’d been assigned to the Hoover Building she would have been able to drop her off at the Bureau’s day care. The Post Office didn’t offer one for their agents. 

As soon as the elevator door opened on to the bullpen floor Aram rushed over to help her with Agnes. The baby gave a huge smile when she saw her favorite godfather and nearly jumped out of her arms trying to get to him.

“Careful,” Aram said barely catching her before Lizzie lost her grip on the wriggling baby.

She was surprised to see that Red was already there and keeping a watchful eye on everyone as they rushed over to coo over the adorable little girl. Despite how badly she’d hurt each of them, they’d never been anything but loving towards Agnes. She realized all over again how lucky she was to have all of them in her life. Faking her death was the worst mistake she had ever made. It hurt everyone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Tom to go away to Redemption land. Any further mentions will be short.

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters of the Blacklist. I just want to correct what is wrong with the current storyline.

 

Cooper was surprised to see Agnes on the bullpen floor. He was certain that Keen had a good reason for bringing the baby to the office, but he would have to stress that it couldn’t happen again. Babies and guns should be kept far apart in his opinion.

“Agent Keen, this is a surprise. To what do we owe the honor of seeing Agnes this morning?” Cooper said in a tone that let Lizzie know he wasn’t happy.

Lizzie glanced over to where Red was standing before turning to face Cooper as he stepped off the stairs leading from his office to the bullpen. She would have liked a few minutes to catch her breath, but it wasn’t to be.

“I need to speak to you privately about why she’s here. Aram do you have a few minutes to watch her?” 

Everyone could see that he wanted to agree immediately, but he looked to Cooper for his approval. At Cooper’s nod he agreed and carried Agnes to his desk where he was joined by Samar and Ressler. There wouldn’t be a lot of work getting done.

Cooper led the way to his office. He was surprised when he turned around to see that not only was Keen in his office, but so was Reddington. He placed a silent bet with himself about the news they were both there to deliver. 

“Agent Keen I thought you wanted to speak privately?” he asked as he took his seat behind his desk.

“I’m a part of what she wants to discuss Harold,” Red told him as he sat across from Cooper. 

Both men looked towards the woman still standing just inside of the office. It was apparent to both men that she was nervous and unsure about how to start the discussion. She was almost more nervous to come clean about Agnes’s parentage than she was when lying to them about Tom being the father. 

“Well, first I wanted to apologize for bringing Agnes in with me. I know that this is not the place for a baby. Tom would normally have watched her. He’s taking a job with Halcyon. He’s not going to be in our lives any longer,” she said wringing her hands as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. 

That was the easy part, now comes the hard part.

“I also want to let everyone know that I need their forgiveness for one other lie. I chose to let everyone believe that Tom is Agnes’s father. I did that because I didn’t know what you would do if you learned that she’s Red’s daughter. She was conceived while we were on the run.”

Lizzie practically collapsed in the chair next to Red. She felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. 

“Let me say I’m sorry to hear about you and Tom. It’s never easy to end a long-term relationship, especially one that has had as much drama involved as yours did. As to Agnes, I wondered at the timing. Of course, I had no way of knowing whether you saw Tom while you were on the run, but honestly, the first time I saw her I thought she just might be Red’s. I’ve seen pictures of Reddington when he was younger. He had blonde hair, unlike you or Tom. It seemed odd that Agnes would be blonde with two brunette parents,” Cooper said with a smile. 

“I can see you are going to be insufferable,” Red snarked.

“What’s wrong, Dad?” Cooper said with a laugh.

Red just shook his head and looked away. Cooper was taking the news better than he’d hoped. He just needed to make sure that the task force knew that Agnes’s paternity would need to be a closely guarded secret. If they thought Agnes had been in danger being the possible granddaughter of Alexander Kirk, it was nothing to what would happen if his enemies found out that she was his daughter.

“Elizabeth and I haven’t had a chance to discuss this matter privately yet. If we decide to tell the team about Agnes it will need to be held in the strictest confidence. I won’t lose another child to the Cabal or any other enemy that might show its head. For now, I’d prefer that we just mention that they have separated due to his new job,” Red said gazing at Lizzie to see her reaction to his request.

As much as she understood his reasoning she really wanted all her friends to know the truth. If nothing else it would explain why Red had fallen apart when he thought she’d died. Not only did she deliberately keep him away from Agnes when she was just born, she made it apparent to everyone that she would go to any lengths to get away from him. It was going to take a very long time to make it all up to him.

“I won’t mention anything to the team. I think you’ll find them willing to keep this secret as they have all the others that have come to light in the past few years,” Cooper told the couple.

“There may come a time I’m ready to take that chance. At the moment, I am not. Elizabeth I need to speak to you privately for a moment before I leave,” Red said before holding the door open for her to proceed him out of Cooper’s office.

Lizzie led Red down the walkway from Cooper’s office to the interrogation room next door. Red followed her into the room, closing the door behind himself.

“You didn’t tell me last night that you and Tom had separated. I thought he’d just taken a job at Halcyon. Did something happen this morning after you left?” Red asked. He was trying to read her body language, but she’s gotten very good at keeping her thoughts from showing.

“I haven’t told Tom anything yet. We both knew it was only a matter of time before we started living apart. We couldn’t continue to live as roommates. He wants to go and find answers about why he was taken from his parents. Why was someone paid to confess to killing him when he was just a child? He doesn’t have it in him to be a stay at home dad. There are enough people threatening me and Agnes. I don’t need him making more in his search for answers and bringing them home with him,” she explained to him. 

Red could understand her reasoning. He had to admit he was happy when she’d told him that they hadn’t been intimate in months. The thought of her and Tom together had fueled many nights of overindulgence. That would stop now. 

“Since you don’t have anyone to watch Agnes today I’d be happy to keep her with me. I can make my calls from the safe house as easily as anywhere. I’d like a chance to spend more time with her before I must leave on business later this week. I will make sure you have a sitter you can trust immediately and a new security team in place.”

“I think Cooper would appreciate you taking her. This really isn’t a place for a baby to spend the day. Do you have another name for us before you leave? If you don’t the rest of the team is going to find it odd that you came in since you dislike this place so much,” she reminded him.

While he didn’t plan on giving them a name he realized she was correct. Without giving them a name to work on it would be all too obvious that his presence here was tied to Agnes is some way. Especially when he left with her.

“The name I have is not one I would have concentrated on right now. He’s not as tied to the attack on my business ventures as others might be. If you manage to catch and turn him you might be able to identify the final resting place of a large number of civilian and criminals alike,” he said as he held the door open for her. “He’s called the Potter. As in a Potter’s Field. Unlike the Stewmaker who left no trace of those entrusted into his care, the Potter simply makes the bodies disappear into the vast wilderness of the country he’s occupying at the time.”

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

When they reached the bullpen again Lizzie launched into the discussion of the new Blacklister. Once she finished relaying the little information that Red had shared with her he took over.

“The Potter is one of the best resources to contact when you have a disposal problem that you need to have disappear forever. His employers range from progressive thinking mobsters, those that realize it’s better to have someone outside of their organization deal with disappearing enemies or informants, all the way to governments that don’t want to be connected to a body should it be found. Using the Potter assures everyone plausible deniability should a body come to light. So far, as far as I know, none have done so. I’m sure you heard about the government informant against the Scalpino family that suddenly disappeared a few days ago. I have it on good authority that was the Potter’s work. I suggest that you reach out to agents assigned to guard the informant. I can almost guarantee that one of that team is responsible for his disappearance,” Red concluded looking over at the team arranged around Aram’s desk. 

“Red I know this is asking a lot, but since you’ve just given us another name to start working on, would you be willing to watch Agnes?” Lizzie asked to give him an excuse for leaving with Agnes in tow.

Red spun to face Ressler when he heard him break out laughing. 

“You’re a babysitter now,” Ressler barely managed to get out in between burst of laughter.

“I’ve been wiping your runny nose for four years now. It will be a nice change to deal with someone more mature,” Red shot back at him. 

“Very funny,” Ressler said no longer laughing.

“I thought so. Dembe please get Agnes’s belongings,” he instructed before reaching down and lifting Agnes out of the playpen that Aram had setup next to his desk. “Hello little one. Let’s get you out of here so your mommy can get some work done.”

Lizzie met Red at the elevator to give Agnes a kiss goodbye. She found herself wanting to give one to Red too. She almost didn’t catch herself before doing just that. After giving Red a small smile she turned back to the room and started dividing up the work to find the Potter before he disappeared once again. 

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

With Red’s guidance on where to look for the possible traitor it didn’t take the task force long to identify the agent that sold out to the Scalpino family. When faced with the option of entering witness protection or being outed to the mafia he quickly decided that a new life was the best option. 

The organized crime division of the FBI was able to capture the hit man that was responsible for the witness’s death. And, unlike what you see in the movies he was all too willing to setup the Potter for arrest by the task force. Lizzie suspected that he wouldn’t have been quite as willing to cooperate if they’d tried to arrest any members of the Scalpino family. 

Lizzie checked in frequently with Red to make sure Agnes was okay and that Red wasn’t pulling out what little hair he had left. She was surprised to hear how happy he’d been during each call. She’d heard Agnes laughing in the background when she wasn’t down for a nap. This little girl already had Red, Dembe and apparently Baz wrapped around her little finger. She’d been surprised to hear Baz during one of her earliest calls. When she’d asked Red why Baz was there, asking if he felt the need for reinforcements. He’d huffed that Baz had been sent out to locate a crib for Agnes to nap in. 

She decided to head home to pick up some more items that they might be running low on before heading to the safe house to spend some time with both Red and Agnes. She was not quite ready to spend another night at the safe house with Red. While she knew her feelings for Red was reciprocated, she wanted to take the advancement of any relationship slow. This wasn’t something she wanted to rush.

Lizzie was surprised to find Tom in their apartment when she got there. He was usually gone longer than a single night since he started working with his mother. He was sitting at the dining table when she came through the door eating what looked and smelled like lasagna. 

“Oh, hey. I didn’t think you’d be home already,” she said as she set her bag down on the end of the table away from where Tom was sitting.

“There wasn’t any reason to stay at Halcyon. They are trying to run down the contact that has the location of the shipment we are supposed to locate. I’ll let the tech guys work their magic. Where’s Agnes?” he asked.

“I didn’t have a sitter so I took her into the office. Red had a name for us so he took her with him. He watched her today,” she answered little nervously. She wanted to have a talk with Tom. She just didn’t plan on it happening this soon.

“Raymond Reddington is babysitting?” Tom said in shock.

“Don’t act so surprised. You know how much he likes seeing her. It’s not like he doesn’t know how to handle a baby,” she said moving around the table to sit down across from him.

“I didn’t realize we agreed that having him in her life was a good idea. In fact, I seem to remember the drastic steps we took to make sure he wasn’t a part of her life,” he said.

“Tom it’s time we admit to ourselves that this relationship, this faux family is not working. I can tell you are feeling trapped here. I want you to find someplace else to live. I want you to move on and find the answers you are desperately looking for with your mother.”

Tom didn’t respond for a few moments before saying, “Is this what you want or has Red somehow convinced you that this would be a good thing?” 

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. Red has kept his opinions about our relationship to himself.”

“What about Agnes? Are you willing to let me see her?” he asked.

“Did Nick or any of the doctors in the hospital mention that Agnes was not premature?” she asked Tom. They’d never discussed this and she wanted to find out what exactly he knew.

“Nick said that she was. The pediatrician in the hospital stated she was full term. I thought that they were wrong, but I’m beginning to think that there is something you haven’t told me.”

“Please Tom, you aren’t that naïve. You know that if the conception was the night before I shot Connolly I would have needed to be an elephant to be pregnant for so long. And, if conception was after the deal that set me free, she would have been extremely premature. The only answer was that conception happened sometime in between then,” she said tiredly. She just wished he’d accept the obvious and move on. 

“Reddington. He’s the father, isn’t he?” Tom guessed.

There was no way that she was going to admit Agnes’s paternity to Tom. As much as she thought he felt some love and attachment to Agnes, she wouldn’t put it past him to sell Red out at some point in the future no matter what danger it might bring to the baby.

“No, he’s not. I had a one night stand with someone I met at a bar during our run from the FBI. Red had a meeting with one of his teams and left me alone at a safe location. I knew it was stupid to not stay there, but I needed to get out and do something normal. I never knew the guy’s name,” she said hoping he still couldn’t read her as well as he’d been able to during their marriage.

Her lie was obvious to Tom. He’d felt for a while that Agnes might not be his. He’d opted to let everyone believe that he was the father. While Reddington was a willing participate in the falsehood, he knew he was safe. If he was aware of the truth now, the only thing that would continue to keep him safe would be to make Lizzie believe he bought her lie.

“I’m disappointed that you didn’t tell me before now. It doesn’t make any difference to me. I still think of her as my daughter. I’d like to still see her, if you don’t mind,” he said calmly.

Lizzie realized that she was seeing Tom, the master manipulator and liar. She’d gotten better at seeing through his lies and knew that he wasn’t buying her story about a stranger being Agnes’s father. Her feelings about Tom bringing more danger into their lives by working with Halcyon might just be the excuse they both needed to go their separate ways. 

“Tom, as long as you are working with your mother, especially with Solomon I don’t want you around Agnes. I don’t trust that man to not harm Agnes if someone offered him the right price. Red is going to reassign a security detail around the apartment and I think I’m going to allow him to suggest someone to watch her while I’m working. We can discuss the matter again if you stop working with Scottie.”

It wasn’t the best option in Tom’s eyes, but it did have the benefit of giving him a reason to walk away without fearing that Red would take his vengeance. If he was wrong he always had the option to provide one of Red’s many enemies with a means of making him do whatever they wanted of him.

“If that is really the way you feel I’ll pack my stuff up tonight. I’ll try to be gone by the time you get home with Agnes,” he told her before walking around the table and placing a kiss on her cheek. “Goodbye Liz.”

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

Lizzie was unsurprised to see Baz open the apartment door across the hall from her own door. 

“Hello Baz. Just how long have you had a team stationed here?” she asked the grey-haired man.

“Since the day you moved in with Agnes. Red’s orders were to watch, but not engage unless your life or hers was in danger. My orders changed today. That is why I met you here. There are camera’s watching the hallway and outside the building. We are monitoring who comes and goes. If you need us for anything just scream or dial *33 on your phone. That number is already programmed into your phone to call directly to the team in this apartment. You and Agnes will be as safe as we can possibly make you,” he told her with a smile.

“Thank you. Tom is packing up and will be leaving tonight. He is only allowed back in the apartment if I give the okay ahead of time,” she told him.

“Understood. I’ll make sure the team keeps him out,” he said before walking back into the apartment and closing the door.

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

Lizzie knocked on the door to the Hempstead house and was surprised when a woman her own age answered the door. 

“Uhm, is Red here?” she asked confused. 

Maybe Red had changed safe houses and she’d just assumed that he would still be here. It was always hard to tell when he decided to switch to a new one. Of course, that is one reason why he could stay ahead of all the law enforcement agencies hunting him around the globe. He was careful to not have a discernable pattern to his movements.

“Yes, Mr. Reddington is in the study with your daughter. You are Ms. Keen, correct?” the woman asked her.

“Yes, I am. And you are?” she asked as she stepped into the foyer.

“I’m Maritza. Mr. Reddington has hired me to be your baby’s nanny as long as that is agreeable with you.”

Lizzie just nodded her head before walking down the hall to the study. She stopped in the doorway surprised by the changes in the room. Almost all the stacks of papers were gone. Along with all the bottles of the cloudy drink that Red chose to drink while staying in this house. In fact, looking closer she could see that the room had been almost completely baby proofed. There were covers over the outlets and corners of the tables were now padded. 

“Wow, you’ve been busy today,” she said to Red who was sitting in his favorite seat on the couch. She was not at all surprised to see Agnes on his lap drinking what would normally be her last bottle before bedtime. They’d been able to capture the Potter quickly compared to other Blacklisters, but after stopping off at her apartment it was nearly 10:00 pm. Well past Agnes’s normal bedtime.

“The blessings of unlimited funds and experienced fathers. It only took about an hour once the maids got all the papers moved out,” he told at the same time the sound of air being sucked through the bottle’s nipple came to their ears. 

“My you have a good appetite. You drank this whole bottle in five minutes. Let’s get all that nasty air out before you fall asleep,” he said in a sing song voice. 

He laid her against his shoulder and gave her a few firm, but still gentle taps on her back. Within moments she gave out an enormous belch followed by giggles. 

“The louder she burps the more she laughs. I suspect she has your sense of humor,” she told him.

Agnes immediately reached for Lizzie as soon as she realized she was in the room. 

“Mmmaamma”

“Did you hear that? She said mama! She’s never said that before,” Lizzie said excitedly. She twirled in a circle and hugged the baby tightly.

“I did. She’s about the right age to start trying to talk. Jennifer’s first word was dada. Of course, she said it to Carla so I’m not sure she really knew what she said. Agnes however, seems to know exactly what to call you.” 

She took a seat on the couch and held Agnes up to her shoulder. That was her favorite position to fall asleep at night. It didn’t take long for her to give in and was asleep almost immediately. 

“I saw Baz tonight while I was leaving the apartment. I don’t suppose I should be surprised that you had a team stationed across the hall. He said you gave him new orders, that he doesn’t need to hide his team anymore. I told him that Tom was moving out tonight. I confronted him and told him that we should go our separate ways. He said he still wants to see Agnes even though he knows that he’s not her father. I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea as long as he’s working with Halcyon. I gave Baz instructions to not let him back into the apartment,” she told him avoiding what Tom guessed about Agnes’s paternity.

“He called to let me know before you arrived. Who did you tell him was Agnes’s father?” he asked quietly as to not wake the baby.

“I told him I had a one night stand while we were on the run. That I didn’t get his name. I don’t think he believed me, but he didn’t argue the point.”

Red spent a moment staring towards the doorway. He knew that while she didn’t want to have a relationship with the man, she would still not want to see him hurt unless it was absolutely necessary to keep Agnes safe. He would give Tom some rope to see what he would do. The first hint of danger to his daughter and Tom would be dead.


End file.
